1. Field
Methods and apparatuses consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to a display apparatus and a method for inputting characters thereof, and more particularly, to a display apparatus which can provide a recommended character icon on a character input user interface (UI) displayed on a display unit, and a method for inputting characters thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern display apparatuses do not unilaterally provide functions or information to users and provide a variety of functions or information in response to a user's request. For example, televisions (TVs) released in recent years provide a user interaction function such as an application executing function or a web-browsing search function, as well as a broadcast receiving function.
Therefore, the modern display apparatus provides a character input user interface (UI) (for example, a virtual keyboard) to a user to receive a user's request. However, if the user inputs a character using such a character input UI, the user has difficulty in moving a pointer. In particular, if the character input UI is provided on a big-size display apparatus such as a TV, the character input UI displayed on the TV has a big size so that it takes much time for the user to input a character using the pointer.
In order to solve the above problem, the display apparatus employs a function of providing a recommended character on the character input UI for the sake of simpler character input. For example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011-0099506 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,443,316 disclose display apparatuses which provide a recommended character around a character selected by a user.
However, in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011-0099506, a recommended character item displayed on a character input UI does not have a separate key border and is not superimposed on an adjacent character item, so that a user has difficulty in selecting the recommended character item. Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,443,316, a recommended character item displayed on a character input UI hides another character item, so that a user cannot select the hidden character item.